


Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt

by Compass_Rose



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Dark Side Virgil, Deceit Messing with Everybody's Head, Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, Isolation, Villain Deceit Sanders, broken trust, secrets and lies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-06-13 12:15:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15364488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Compass_Rose/pseuds/Compass_Rose
Summary: Deceit's plan may have begun with Thomas's conflict over honesty, but it certainly didn't end just because he decided to do the right thing. Life was an endless stream of choices, after all, and making the right decision once didn't automatically guarantee that you'd be able to do it again. In fact, in Virgil's experience, it usually meant you were setting yourself up for an even bigger fall.





	1. What Virgil Knew

 Virgil knew better. He knew better than to think things would just go back to normal after Deceit revealed his presence. He knew better than to hope that Deceit was done messing with them, knew better than to think he had given up. Deceit may have left the real world after the filming had ended, but he was still nearby. Watching. Waiting. For what, Virgil didn’t know. He didn’t even know if he could do anything about it. But as he took in the expressions of his fellow sides—his friends—he knew he had to do something.

Logan and Patton were sitting at the dining room table. The logical facet was reiterating all that had happened in today’s video. His voice was flat and emotionless. His face was an absolute blank, his posture immaculate. He seemed, more than any of the others, to be completely unaffected by the way Deceit had so easily infiltrated their ranks.

Virgil knew better. He could see the way Logan’s hands curled into fists underneath the table, clenching and unclenching almost rhythmically. He could see the way the genius nibbled slightly on his bottom lip, and it didn’t escape his notice that Logan never broke eye contact with Patton during his retelling, as though he was afraid that the moment he looked away, the moral facet would disappear altogether.

Patton was easier to read. It seemed that the day’s events had shaken up the father figure enough that he wasn’t even trying to hide his emotions. The furrow of his brow combined with his deep frown left no doubt in Virgil’s mind as to the sadness and disappointment the other must be feeling. The way Patton’s eyes shimmered in the light, almost as though reflecting unshed tears, only added to his figurative picture of heartbreak.

At the other end of the table sat Roman. The royal aspect certainly didn’t look the part anymore. Away from the cameras and heavy expectations of their host, and with Logan and Patton currently absorbed in their own emotional conversation, the prince allowed the true burden of the day to weigh him down. He was turned slightly away from the group, half-facing the wall. Though Virgil couldn’t see his face, the slump of his shoulders and the way his head seemed to slip a fraction of a speck lower every time Logan announced something he had said or done, warned the cautious side that Roman was shouldering his own share of guilt and blame for past events.

It was something they had in common.

Virgil hovered awkwardly on threshold; not quite inside the room, but not fully left on the outside, either. A part of him wanted nothing more than to join the group, to offer whatever sad, pathetic condolences he had inside of him. He wanted to interrupt Logan with a sarcastic comment that would earn him a huff from the logical side and a smile and friendly admonishment from Patton. He wanted to rib Roman about how easily he got swept up in Deceit’s plan until the confident Prince forgot his shame and forgave his mistake. But most all, he wanted to believe that they would be ok. That what Deceit had done, what he was potentially going to do, wouldn’t break them. He wanted to believe that they might actually be able to stand against the twofaced liar if they worked together.

But that wasn’t going to happen. Deceit was stronger than they could imagine, more manipulative than they knew, and more dangerous than they realized. And now he was done hiding. He had revealed himself to Thomas, and in doing so, completely changed the way the game was played. Thomas knew he existed now, and would be even more careful not to feed into the temptation Deceit offered him. Deceit knew that—but he had revealed himself anyway. Why, Virgil couldn’t even begin to guess. He must have a plan. It would be completely out of character for the manipulative bi—witch to have pulled such a risky move purely on impulse.

No, Virgil was sure he had a plan. He always had a plan. What Virgil didn’t know was what that plan entailed, or how exactly it was going to affect Thomas or the others. There were just too many unknowns, too many variables. How could he protect the others if he didn’t even know where the threat was coming from?

He couldn’t. It was impossible. Fighting Deceit was impossible. He didn’t have a chance. Better to just run away now. Stay safe, stay _alive_ , and let Deceit do whatever the heck he wanted to with the others.

Or.

He could stand up and fight, despite the unknown. He could do his job and keep the others safe and for once in his life not be a total coward. He could pretend that he was finally worthy of their trust.

Virgil sighed. Unfortunately, he knew better. So, with a final glance at his friends, he turned away from the dining room. He didn’t announce his departure or lift a hand in farewell. He just synced out in silence.

The others never even knew he had left.


	2. Deception in the Dark

Virgil’s body tensed the moment he appeared in his room. His vision grew sharper in the dim light, and his eyes darted around the room, attempting to pinpoint the reason for his sudden discomfort. As his gaze roamed over the couch, he noticed one of the shadows resembled a dark silhouette.

Someone was in his room.

No sooner had he processed this, than a suave, soothing voice echoed from the shadows. “Hello, Anxiety.”

Virgil’s head snapped to the left with such force that, if he had been human, he would have broken his neck. “Deceit.”

The side in question smiled, an oily motion that seemed to put the shadows slithering around him to shame.

“What are you doing here?” Virgil tried to inject as much force as he could into the question. He twisted his features into a sneer and glared at Deceit through slanted eyes, hoping it would intimidate the manipulator. It didn’t.

“What? Can't I stop by and visit a friend, if I so choose?” Deceit purred, rising from his position on the couch.

“We're _not_ friends. And I didn't invite you here. Get out.”

“Oh, but we were once. We were great friends, you and I. And then you left. Just couldn't wait to move on to bigger and better things, right, Anxiety?” The deceiver meandered around the room as though to prove his point. He glanced at the spider-print curtains, and scoffed at the various knickknacks Virgil kept on his shelf. A book seemed to catch his attention, and he picked it up, eyeing the whimsical cover with disdain. “ _Lost in Wonderland: 1000 Piece Puzzle_? Fascinating. Which one did you steal this from? And why would you want it in the first place?”

Virgil flinched as Deceit ran a glove-tipped finger over the spine. “None of your business,” he seethed. “Put it down.”

Deceit smirked and turned to face him, letting the book fall from his fingers in the process. The shadows leapt toward the book, extending almost in slow motion.

“No!” Virgil swung his arm forward, but it was too late. He could only watch as the shadows collided with the book and encased it in a writhing mass of darkness. Deceit chuckled and snapped his fingers. Like an obedient dog at its master’s call, the shadows receded, leaving behind a twisted, broken replica of the book.

Deceit knelt and picked up the destroyed object, handing it back to Virgil with a vicious grin. “You know, you really should take better care of your things.”

Virgil took back his property with a trembling hand. A power move, he recognized. Designed to show Virgil that he was in charge here. That he could destroy the entire room if he wanted, and Virgil would be powerless to stop him. Virgil already knew he was powerless. It was nothing new. The question was why now? What did Deceit have to gain by trying to intimidate him so soon after the video session? What was he up to?

“Whatever. I know you didn’t come all the way out here just to smash up my crap.” Virgil gripped the book in his hand, feeling the hard edges of the cover bite into his palm. _Don’t show weakness,_ he reminded himself, _not to him._

“What if I did?” Deceit shot back, his yellow eye pulsing in the darkness. “What if I came by for no other reason than to destroy everything that you hold dear?”

His eye flashed again, bright enough to draw attention, but gentle enough to be disarming. The way it seemed to dance with the shadows was almost mesmerizing, like watching a comet streak across the sky on a moonless night.

Virgil felt himself relax as he watched the push and pull of light and dark. His taut muscles eased themselves back into a resting state and his senses dulled. Deceit had just come by to show off his power. It was nothing. He just wanted to make sure he was taken seriously after his failure. That was all. He wasn’t up to anything suspicious....was he? No, of course not. Nothing to worry about—wrong! This was Deceit! Deceit couldn’t be trusted. Of course he was up to something!

Virgil groaned as he lifted a hand to his temple. His head felt like it was going to split in two. The light from Deceit’s inhuman eye no longer conveyed a dim glow, but a burning flare. He squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to stave off the brightness, but he could still feel his retinas burn behind his eyelids.

“That’s it, _Virgil._ Keep fighting. I’m sure you can beat me sooner or later.” Deceit laughed; a harsh, cruel sound that only highlighted his insincerity. “You always have before.”

Virgil cringed. Not at the words, he knew that what Deceit had intended to say was the truth. He couldn’t hold his own against Deceit. He never had before. No, it was the use of his name that drove a knife right into the center of his heart. Deceit hadn’t known his name. He had heard it for the first time today, when Roman had spoken it freely on the stage of Thomas’s mind. And now he could use it against him.

“Maybe not, but I won’t give up.” Virgil bared his teeth, looking for all the world like a wounded animal backed into the proverbial corner. “I can’t. I won’t let you hurt them like you hurt me.”

Deceit laughed that awful laugh again. “Oh, _you’re_ going to protect them? Like how you’re protecting yourself right now? Is that how you’re going to save them?”

“Shut. Up. I didn’t...I didn’t have a choice. When we were kids, I had to let you in. I th-thought, I thought you were my friend. But I was wrong. The things I did....because _you_ told me to—but never again. Yo-you hear me? Never again. I’ll never let you in!”

“Oh, _Virgil._ ” His name again. “Who ever said you had a choice?”

The pull of his name, working in tandem with the cursed glow of Deceit’s eye, was almost enough to overcome Virgil for good. The pain in his head had gone from feeling like his head was about to crack to feeling like it was seconds away from imploding. The burning in his eyes had increased as well, and tears slipped past his lashes very much against his will. His chest spasmed, and a sob lodged in his throat, but he ground his teeth together and suppressed it.

A rough, cloth glove, as harsh as Deceit’s lies, stroked the side of his cheek. “Give in,” the manipulator whispered. “It’ll be easier that way. Better for everyone.”

“Not for me.” Virgil spat. “Not...for Thomas. Patton. Logan. Roman. Won’t let you...hurt them.”

“You care so much about them? You’ll fight this hard to defend them?” There was confusion and more than a little disgust in Deceit’s voice. “Why? What’s so special about _them?_ ”

“Friends,” Virgil choked out. “Never lied to me. Nev-never used m-m-me. ...Never _betrayed_ me.”

“So what?” Deceit shot back. He grabbed Virgil’s jaw and wrenched it toward him. “Keep your eyes closed. Don’t look at me!”

There was something dangerous in Deceit’s tone. A dark warning that danced on the edge of half-forgotten memories. Memories that Virgil thought he had left behind. Against his better judgment, the apprehensive facet peeked through his lashes. The glow had died down to low shimmer, still painful to look at directly, but manageable. Spots flickered in front of Virgil’s vision, and he had to blink several times to clear them.

Deceit was all but frothing at the mouth. “Do you think if your positions were reversed, they’d defend you this way? Do you think they’d still be your ‘friends’ if they knew who you really are? _What_ you really are?”

Virgil’s eyes widened and just like that, all the spots disappeared. He could see clearly now—and he didn’t like the picture. “Deceit, no. If they found out—we made a deal, remember? You do your thing, and I do mine and—”

“And no one else is fair game. No, Anxiety, I forgot. But the game hasn’t changed now. It’s not as if you sealed your fate by throwing your lot in with them. It’s not as if you prance around pretending to be a light side, a good person. But at the end of the day, you’re different than I am. You’ve proven that time and time again.”

Virgil cringed and tried to slide away, but Deceit held him fast. “I-I’m nothing like you.”

The denial must have sounded as weak to Deceit as it did to him, because the snake-faced side let out a snort of utter disbelief. “You think so? It must have been another emo-goth boy that’s been lying this entire time. You’re even better than I am, Anxiety. At least I’m, ugh, _honest_ about what I am.”

Virgil’s breathing started to increase as his heart began to pump faster. The others could never know! The moment they did, they’d reject him—or worse! And if they ever found out that he was the reason Deceit was able to freely walk the halls of Thomas’s mind... A pain blossomed in his chest that had nothing to do with the force of his shallow, gasping breaths.

Deceit grinned down at him. There was something dark and twisted hiding behind his human eye, something that chilled Virgil through to the bone. “I wasn’t intending on taking control of you when I came here. I didn’t want to teach you a lesson for choosing the wrong team. And I _certainly_ wasn’t going to use your heightened influence over Thomas to help me become the dominant personality trait within him. But now? Now that I’ve seen how much you care for the light sides—for your so-called 'friends'? Now that I realize that you’ll give everything you have to defend them, even knowing that they would never stand up for you if they knew the truth? I’ll stick to my old plan. I have a _much_ worse one in mind.”

Virgil swallowed roughly and forced himself to meet Deceit’s eyes. He cursed himself for the shudder that racked his body, and even more for the stammer that infected his speech. “W-w-what are you g-g-going to do?”

“Oh, I’m not going to do anything. _You’re_ going to betray your friends, destroy them. And you’ll do it willingly, because at the end of the day, you’re still a dark side and they’re still light. It’s the natural order.” Deceit released the other side and gestured to the book Anxiety still had clutched in his hand. “And who are you, _Virgil_ , to deny human nature?”

Virgil opened his mouth. He wanted to yell at Deceit to never speak his real name again. He wanted to reject Deceit’s lies and declare that he would never betray his friends. He wanted to retort that Deceit didn’t know the first thing about human nature, much less Virgil’s own.

He didn’t say any of those things.

Instead, a knock echoed through the room before he could even marshal the courage to speak. “Virgil? It’s Logan. Patton and Roman have decided to engage in a Disney movie marathon to...detach from recent events. If you are amiable, would you join us in the Commons?”

“Go ahead,” Deceit gestured to the door with a smirk. “Go pretend like you’re not a monster for a few hours. After all, the lights need someone they can _trust_ to watch their backs. Who could be better than you?”

“Shut up.” Virgil hissed, trying to ignore the way Deceit’s words rang true in his head.

“What was that?” Logan called. “I couldn’t quite understand you.”

Virgil raised his voice and addressed the side beyond the door, never taking his eyes off of Deceit. “I said I’ll be there in a few.”

There was a pause from the logical side, a hesitation that hadn’t been there before today, and shouldn’t be there now. “...As you wish. Please come down shortly.”

The protector and the deceiver shared one final glare as Logan’s footsteps receded. To Virgil's surprise, it was Deceit who looked away first. The known dark side glanced down at his vibrant yellow gloves, tugging at the cuffs. “As always, Anxiety, I have enjoyed our time together. It’s been _real._ But remember all good things must come to an end.”

“Just go Deceit."

“ _As you wish_ ,” the manipulative trait mimicked Logan, even copying the tone of his voice. Switching back to his own just as smoothly, he added, “But don’t worry, friend-o. I’ll be sure to leave you alone and not do anything at all that could possibly add to your worries. I promise.”

Virgil rolled his eyes, neither naive nor trusting enough to believe that Deceit had any intention of actually leaving him alone. He could only watch as Deceit touched his fingers to the rim of his stupid, ugly bowler hat in farewell. The leering smile his enemy graced him with as he disappeared from sight did nothing to stop his stomach from tying itself in knots. This definitely wasn’t the last he’d seen of Deceit, no matter what the liar claimed.

But for now, at least, he was gone. For the moment, Thomas was safe. They all were.

It took a minute for the notion to sink in, but once it did, Virgil felt the tension bleed out of him like murky dishwater flowing down the drain. Drawing a shaky breath, he turned his back on the place where Deceit had stood; ignoring the way his legs wobbled with every step he took.

Five seconds later, Virgil collapsed on the floor.


	3. We Happy Few

 Meanwhile, down in Commons area, three other prominent personality traits were gathered in front of the TV. Patton and Roman were curled up together on the couch, each wrapped up in a thick, colorful comforter. Logan was sitting stiffly on his own chair, the blue glow from the television glinting harshly off his glasses. On the low coffee table in front of the couch sat a bowl of popcorn, a package of skittles, peanut M & M’s, and four cold mugs of what was once hot chocolate.

It was a subdued Roman who broke the silence. “Guys, I don’t think Doom and Gloom is going to come. Perhaps it’s best if we start the movie without him.”

“But that would be mean,” Patton argued, glancing over at the intellectual persona in the chair. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon. Logan, didn’t you say he promised to come down soon?”

Logan cleared his throat, tilting his head so that the glare from the TV wouldn’t inhibit his view of his companions. “I did, Patton. However, that was over an hour ago and we have not heard anything from him since. I believe it might be best to cease waiting and begin the movie.”

“No! We’re not going to watch without him! What if he comes down and sees us all watching the movie and feels abandoned? I don’t want him to be sad!”

“So what?” Roman retorted. “We’re just supposed to wait until he decides he’s _ready_ to come down? How is that fair to us, Patton?”

Patton wilted slightly, looking down at the blue and white snowflake pattern on his blanket. “It’s not, I guess. But it’s not fair to Virgil if we leave him out either.”

“Virgil is aware that we were planning to watch a movie. I have extended an invitation to him and he knows his presence is desired. Under these circumstances, I do not believe that proceeding to watch the movie constitutes ‘leaving him out’ in any way. Do you—” The logical attribute coughed slightly, raising a hand to smooth down his ever-present necktie, before seeming to think better of the motion, “believe my reasoning to be...flawed?”

“Of course not,” Patton assured absently, tracing the outline of a snowflake with his right hand. “I just think Virgil would like to be here, that’s all.”

Roman sighed, but the noise didn’t ring out as obnoxiously as usual. “Look, if he wants to come, he’ll come. If not...” The creative side shrugged, causing his blanket to slip down his arms. “Either way, he probably wouldn’t want us to wait any longer just for him.”

Silence followed in the wake of Roman’s unexpectedly insightful statement. Patton made no move to break it, only wrapping his arms tightly around his middle, as though trying to envelop himself in a warm, safe hug. He didn’t lift his head, but his gaze slowly shifted over to the hallway. Roman was right. Virgil hated being an inconvenience or a burden in any way. Patton had tried many times in the past to tell him that there was no possible way that would ever happen, but since most of those conversations had occurred before Logan, Roman, and Thomas truly accepted him, Virgil was understandably reluctant to believe him. So, yeah, he would probably be really upset to learn that the three of them had waited an hour for him before watching any movie.

Patton felt his insides squirm a little at the thought. He certainly didn’t want Virgil to feel bad, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a little distressed that the anxious trait wasn’t with them. After everything that had happened recently with Deceit, Patton just really wanted a peaceful, relaxing night with his family, but it seemed like Virgil had decided he needed to be left alone more.

A spike of disappointment lanced through Patton’s heart. The emotional aspect wrenched his gaze back down to the blanket, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to suppress the tears that rose unbidden behind his lashes. A shiver raced down his spine as he tried to push the feeling of malcontent to the side. Dealing with emotions he couldn’t immediately express was always a tricky business. _Acknowledge that it’s there,_ morality thought to himself. _Realize that it exists, but don’t let yourself feel it right now. Wait until you’re alone, safe in your room. Then you can express all of the disappointment and sadness that you want. Just not right now. The others need you to be happy and upbeat right now. We can still salvage this night, even without Virgil. Everything will be fine. Just be happy and everything will be ok._

Gradually, Patton felt the negative emotion loosen its hold enough for him to manage a feeble smile. Tears still burned behind his eyes, but he could open them now without breaking down into uncontrollable weeping. Breathing out a soft sigh of relief, the father figure lifted his head to find Roman and Logan staring at him curiously.

The creative facet was the first to speak. “Patton? Are you ok?”

“Of course, Kiddo! I was just thinking about what you said.” Guilt twisted nauseously in his stomach, and his smile stretched until it felt like a child’s carnival mask had been plastered to his face. Lying was bad. They just had a whole video, ~~which he hadn’t been there for,~~ about how bad it was. He shouldn’t be lying to his family right now...

“Falsehood,” Logan stated quietly. “And for the record, I would advise against all forms of dishonesty for the time being. The last thing we need is to accidentally summon Deceit.”

Patton’s smile slipped. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I just feel kind of...unhappy right now, and I didn’t want to make you guys feel bad too.”

“I highly doubt your emotional range could affect our own so drastically. We may experience concern for you, of course, but I find it difficult to imagine a situation in which sharing your burden would inflict negative repercussions upon myself or Roman.”

“Logan actually has a point here, Padre,” Roman added when the emotional side tried to protest. “We wouldn’t wish you to be upset in any way. Please, tell me what dark thoughts plague you, and I swear to you on my honor, I _shall_ valiantly vanquish them or perish in the attempt!”

Had Patton not been struggling so deeply with his own tumultuous emotions, he might have seen how the light behind the royal trait’s eyes seemed to dim, and he surely would have noticed the grim frown that had taken the place of his friend’s normally charismatic smile. As it was, the heart of the group was too distracted by the hurt he couldn’t help but feel at Virgil’s absence, and by the equally powerful need to make sure his ‘kiddos’ didn’t suffer that same pain. “Thanks for wanting to help, Lo, Roman. But I don’t think there’s anything you can do, so there’s no reason to worry about it.”

Roman frowned. “But we _are_ worried, Patton. Please, let us help. Let _me_ help. I promise that I won’t fail you.”

“Roman.” Patton tried to summon a smile, but it seemed to take too much effort to move his lips in the right direction. A strange sort of heaviness had begun to settle in his bones and creep over his mind like a thick fog. Why did they have to keep talking about this? “This is just something I have to handle myself.” He shifted his gaze back down to the snowflake-print blanket. “It’s sweet of you to care so much, but I don’t want to talk about it, ok?”

Though morality’s tone was gentle, Roman still flinched, jerking back as though he’d been struck.

Logan frowned. “You’re being childish. It’s obvious to both of us you are hurting, yet you continue to pretend that nothing is wrong. That is foolish. Perhaps we can help you, but not if you persist in this futile charade.”

Patton shook his head. “It’s not—you can’t help Lo. Neither of you can, and I _really_ don’t want to talk about it right now, so please just leave it alone. Please.”

“What evidence do you have to support the claim that I— _we_ cannot be of assistance?”

“I don’t need _evidence._ I just _know_.”

Logan quirked an eyebrow. “That’s not a very logical argument.”

“I never said I was logical!” Patton took a ragged breath, trying to calm down. His entire body seemed to be made of lead and a headache was beginning to build between his eyes. “It doesn’t matter if you think you can help or not, because right now I just _don’t want to talk about it_. I’m sorry if that’s childish, and I’m sorry it makes you two feel bad, but—”

“Feel?” Logan cut him off. “I don’t feel anything. Logic is, by its nature, untainted by the fickle hand of emotion, as you should well know. I simply find your insistence on keeping secrets to be impulsive and ill-advised. Honestly, Patton, I thought you agreed to no longer conceal your true feelings.”

Patton winced at the exasperated barb flung at him by the academic. “That’s not fair! This is different!”

How, Patton? How is what you’re doing now any different than what you have done in the past?”

There was no way to mistake that question for anything other than an accusation. The moral aspect froze, all fight leaking out of him like air out of a punctured balloon. He didn’t even know how to begin to respond. “Logan...”

The intellectual met Patton’s wounded gaze coolly, almost glaring at him over the thick, black frame of his glasses. They maintained eye contact for at least a minute, though to the emotional side it felt more like the passing of a small eternity. Finally, Logan spoke softly, his voice still taut with frustration, “perhaps it’s better if we leave the movie night until another time. Beginning one this late will interfere with our circadian rhythms and prevent us from attaining a good night’s rest. There is nothing more to accomplish here.”

“Logan’s right,” Roman spoke up almost hesitantly, his voice barely audible under the low whine of the television. “Thomas definitely doesn’t need anymore aggravation today.”

Logan nodded as though Roman had been speaking to him rather than the room at large. Without another word passing between them, the creative and logical facets began to sync out of the room, each disappearing from sight in a matter of moments.

Patton stared into space for several minutes after they disappeared, trying to get a better hold on the tumultuous emotions coursing through his body. He blinked his eyes furiously, trying to ignore the stinging burn of suppressed tears. This wasn’t how the night was supposed to go at all! He didn’t want to fight with his family! Why couldn’t everyone just get along? Why couldn’t Virgil have come downstairs? Did—did Deceit’s actions really affect the group dynamics so badly? Or...was it him they didn’t want to be around? After all, none of them even noticed when Deceit impersonated him during the video.

 _Virgil did,_ a small voice whispered in the back of Patton’s mind. _Virgil wasn’t deceived._ Hope beat its wings against the moral aspect’s heart, only to be promptly snuffed out a few minutes later. _And where is he now?_ His own thoughts mocked him. _This observant friend who noticed you weren’t there. Why isn’t he here helping you? He doesn’t care. None of them do, and why would they. You heard Logan, you’re childish, pathetic._ Just _the heart. Not important. What kind of lame power is heart, anyway?_  

Patton could take no more. With a heart-wrenching cry, Morality burst into tears, snapping his fingers even as he curled into a protective ball. Tissues appeared on the cushion next to him, and a battered, well-loved Winnie the Pooh doll appeared in his arms. He hugged the toy to his chest, rocking back and forth slightly. _Lame, pathetic, weak,_ his thoughts mocked him. _You’re so childish, even Logan recognized it. You wanted the others to be happy, to have a safe place where they could relax and not worry about everything that happened. And what did you end up doing? Arguing with them. Making them feel bad. Driving them away from the room. You really are a wonderful father, such a wonderful friend!_

“I’m sorry!” Patton screeched, whimpering softly as he tried to force the words through a torrent of tears. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it...”

Minutes turned to hours, and slowly Patton’s weeping began to ebb. His eyes dried, though his cheeks were still damp, and his breathing relaxed into a semi-normal pattern. With one arm, the emotional attribute squeezed the ratty, stuffed bear close to his chest, and with the other, he pulled several tissues free from the box. It took only a matter of seconds to dry his face and blow his nose, and when he was done he banished the soiled napkins with a snap of his fingers. Taking a shuddering breath, Patton then tried to center his thoughts. It really wasn’t that bad. Ok, maybe—maybe he made some pretty big mistakes. He shouldn’t have fought with Logan, and it was kind of insensitive of him to lie, especially after everything the others had been through. But he wasn’t trying to be selfish! He just wanted the others to be happy. Of course, no one was really very happy right now...

Patton sighed. The mean voice in his head was right; he had been a terrible friend. Instead of relieving the stress and pain that his family had gone through, he had only added to their burdens and gave them one more reason to worry on top of everything else. No wonder Roman and Logan didn’t want to be around him right now. And Virgil...Virgil didn’t even show up, even though Logan said he agreed to come. The anxious side must’ve had a reason; Virgil rarely did anything without what he believed to be a good reason. So what happened that was so important that he couldn’t show up, especially when he already said he’d be here?

The father figure glanced at the digital clock on the mantle of the TV stand. Red LED lights announced the time to be 2:41 in the morning. Virgil was probably asleep by now. “I’ll talk to him tomorrow,” Patton proclaimed into the silence. “I’ll apologize to Logan and Roman, too. We’ll work through this together and everything will be fine. I know it will.” There was, of course, no response save the continuous screech from the TV’s stand-by screen, but Patton smiled regardless. He gathered his tissue box and readjusted his grip on Pooh-bear. It took him a minute to find the clicker, but after digging it out from behind a couch cushion, he was able to silence the TV. Glancing once more around his space to ensure there was nothing he had forgotten, Patton nodded to himself and began to make his way out of the Commons, his hopeful spirit renewed.

 He never noticed the ominous yellow glow following his every movement.

Patton slept through all five of his alarms the next morning. In hindsight, it was kind of a silly idea to go to sleep so late and expect to not oversleep the next morning. The moral side, unfortunately, needed a full 8 hours of sleep every night, regardless of what time he actually went to bed. This usually wasn’t a problem since Patton was usually good about going to bed on time—most of the time anyway—and even when he forgot, it wasn’t a big deal since Thomas wasn’t really that big of a morning person and didn’t need Patton around until his sixth cup of coffee, at least.  

So Patton didn’t think much of it when he finally awoke, bleary-eyed and lethargic. Something niggled in the back of his mind, a vague feeling that he shouldn’t have overslept, that he was supposed to do something important today, but he couldn’t quite reach through the morning haze to grasp it. Instead he yawned, pulling the covers back up around his neck, and breathing deep. The scent of freshly made coffee filled his lungs, and the paternal side smiled. One of the others had made coffee, probably Virgil, since Roman always summoned his meals and cooking wasn’t exactly one of Logan’s talents...

Ooooh yeeeaaah. _That_ was what he forgot. The moral aspect threw back the covers and flung himself off the bed with renewed vigor. He raced out of the room, barely remembering to shut door behind him, and bounded down the stairs.

A light peeked out from under the kitchen door, and occasionally a shadow or two spilled out over the threshold as whoever was inside went about their business. Taking a deep breath, Patton laid a hand on the doorknob and, after a moment of hesitation, swung open the door. “Good morning,” he announced to the room at large.

Roman and Logan blink back at him. Logan merely offered the emotional attribute a terse nod before turning back to the coffee pot. Roman, on the other hand, stared up at Patton from his seat at the table. For one brief, unguarded moment, sorrow and something else, something that Roman pushed down too quickly for Patton to read, flashed across the royal facet’s face. Then the moment passed, and the sorrow and something-else vanished as suddenly as they appeared, washed away by a bright, confident smile.

“Greetings, Padre!” Roman twirled his hand in an enchanting flourish. The sleeve of his prince outfit fell further down his arm with the gesture, exposing several thin strips of gauze.

Patton rushed forward almost immediately. “Roman! What happened? Are you ok?”

Roman lifted his arms as though to ward off Patton’s distress, his smile softening slightly. “I’m fine. Really, Patton, you don’t have to worry over me. RoboDoc already fixed it before you came down.”

Patton frowned, concern bubbling up inside of him. “But _what_ happened?

“Nothing! An accident in the Imagination, nothing more.” Roman lowered his hands, pulling his cuff firmly down over the bandage in the process. “I just...wasn’t fast enough, that’s all.”

Patton sighed, but decided to let the subject go. He still had had an apology to make, after all. “Roman, Logan...I’m really sorry about the fight last night. I didn’t—”

“You have nothing to apologize for Patton,” Roman interrupted. “It’s totally fine.” Roman smiled again, but something about it struck Patton as false. It was too bright, too wide, too obviously reassuring. A shiver raced down Patton’s spine.

“Roman, please don’t sweep this under the rug. I-I know what I did wasn’t right. I know I hurt you, even though I didn’t want to. Can’t we talk about it? Logan?” He turned to the logical side, hoping that Logan would agree that they should sit down and work this out. His hopes were quickly dashed, however, when the intellectual merely gazed back at him, silent and aloof.

Before the silence could grow too awkward, Roman hastily cleared his throat. “Really Patton, there’s nothing to talk about. It happened, it’s over, can we just move on?” As though to prove his point, he took a long slurp of his coffee, only to choke on it seconds later. “Ugh, I thought I told you to add sugar, Lo,” he whined pitifully.

“You may consider yourself a prince, Roman, but we are not your servants.” Logan replied, more inclined to respond to Roman than Patton, it seemed. “The sugar is there on the table, you may add the amount that that is most palatable to you.”

“Fine, I will,” Roman grumbled good-naturedly. “I go through the terrible trouble of providing you with coffee on this beautiful morn, and you refuse to even accommodate my tastes in turn? For shame, good sir!”

“Yes, it did take you so much effort to simply snap your fingers and conjure this pot. It’s obvious that you will be quite unable to accomplish anything else for the remainder of the day,” Logan replied dryly.

“Exactly!”  

“So, given your current state of exhaustion such that you can’t even flavor your own coffee, it would be pointless to return to the Imagination for at least the rest of the day,” Logan continued, a small grin forming on his lips.

“Precisely, I—wait what?” Roman gaped at Logan. “Have you taken leave of your senses? I have a _job_ to do in the Imagination. It is my realm to govern over, and adventuring within it is a common and frequent source of inspiration for Thomas. Plus, I still have a quest to complete! I will not be bested by some mediocre villain!”

 “Then I supposed it’s fortunate that I am neither a villain, nor mediocre.”

Roman stared helplessly at Logan, his expression morphing into disbelief as he realized the trap he had just fallen into. After a moment, he sighed and dipped his head in graceful surrender. “No, only a fool would call you either. It appears you have bested me...this time. But be warned Logan, you will not find such an easy victory again,” he intoned formally.

“I would hope not. I would hate to think you were losing your touch, Roman.”

Patton shifted uneasily from his place just in front of the table. He hadn’t wanted to interrupt their conversation, and he did love it when Logan and Roman exchanged quips and wordplay, but they were getting far off topic now. Which, come to think of it, might have been Roman’s goal in the first place... “Uh, guys?”

Both Roman and Logan glanced in his direction. Roman still seemed a bit amused as he met Patton’s eyes, but the moment Logan looked over; all emotion seemed to bleed from the logical trait’s face, leaving only the same frosty distance there had been before. Patton’s heart clenched tightly. “That was fun and all, but I really think we should talk about—”

Before he could finish, the door swung open once more. Silence fell over the group as three pairs of eyes turned to watch Virgil shuffle into the kitchen, rubbing his temple absent-mindedly. The sudden absence of conversation apparently didn’t go unnoticed by the newcomer, who squinted at them suspiciously, before proceeding on his path to the coffee pot. It was Patton who spoke up first, his voice coming out a little more uncertain than the moral side would’ve liked, “Good morning, Kiddo.”

Virgil grunted, nodding in Patton’s direction. After the anxious side had drained a mug and a half of coffee, he spoke. “So, like, is there any reason you guys look like you’re dead on your feet or something?”

Logan frowned. “We appear deceased to you? In what way? We are very much alive, I can assure you.”

“It’s an expression,” Virgil sighed over his cup. “Just, why do you two,” he gestured vaguely in Logan and Roman’s direction, “look so freaking tired?”

“Tired?” Roman scoffed, reaching an arm across the table to grab at the shakers. “Please. I look spectacular as always. What, you think a face like this happens naturally? I always get my beauty sleep, Scare-Emo.” The creative aspect poured a large amount of flavoring into his coffee as he slid his eyes over Virgil’s form in an exaggerated manner. “Though, clearly, the same cannot be said for some.”

Rather than rising to the bait, Virgil just stared at his counterpart. After a minute, he deadpanned, “Hey, Sleeping Moron? You’re putting salt in your coffee.”

Roman glanced down at his only to find that the tiny vial was, in fact, clearly labeled ‘salt’. An expression of mild disgust flitted across his face and he pushed his spoiled coffee away. With a sigh, he begrudgingly met Virgil’s eyes. “Alright,” he admitted. “I might have spent a few hours just hanging out in the Imagination last night. A rogue has begun to accost members of a small village on the edge of the Enchanted Forest. I could hardly let such a travesty occur among my people. It’s my duty to defend them! I could not fail.”

“Uh-huh,” Virgil raised an eyebrow, but didn’t force the subject any farther, choosing instead to slide a questioning glance over to Logan.

“I retired to bed within a proper timeframe,” the logical aspect defended. He paused only for a moment before adding, “However, I must confess that I did experience some difficulty actually falling asleep.”

Patton bit his lip. He knew as well as Virgil did that it was highly unusual for Logan to have trouble sleeping or for Roman to go off on late-night adventures without, at the very least, telling someone beforehand. Unlike, Virgil, however, he had a terrible feeling he knew why their friends had suddenly developed these strange behaviors. “...Speaking of last night, I just wanna say—”

“Where were you?” Logan’s tone was calm, almost conversational as he stared at Virgil. “We were expecting you to join us for Roman’s Disney marathon.”

“ _My_ marathon? I don’t think so.” The amused artist pointed a finger towards Logan, grinning at the annoyed stare he received in turn. “As I recall, it was _your_ idea to watch movies in the first place, Think Geek. Remember? Something about ‘it being beneficial to engage in the mindless consumption of humorous, engaging content to restore our psychological and physical equilibrium’?”

“I remember, Roman. And it was the logical course of action at the time. There was no evidence to suggest—” Logan cleared his throat slightly, reaching up to straighten his tie. “We are getting off topic. Virgil, was there a specific reason you chose not to attend?”

Virgil glanced between the other three sides, his narrowed eyes sliding over each of them in quiet thought. “...What marathon? What are you talking about?”

“Last night. I knocked on your door to extend an invitation regarding a movie night..., which we all agreed would be a favorable method of dealing with the... _emotions_ invoked by Deceit’s deplorable actions during the video. You did not come to the door, but nonetheless assured me that you would ‘be there in a few’. However, over an hour passed without your presence in the Commons.”   

Virgil stared blankly at Logan. He didn’t appear to be looking at the academic so much as through him, and if Patton had to guess, he’d say that Virgil was going back in his mind, trying to remember the conversation he and Logan had. After a moment, the anxious facet let out a sharp huff, and turned suddenly back to the coffee pot. “Crap. I completely forgot.”

Roman arched an eyebrow. “Forgot? How do you forget to come watch movies with your family, Frightening Bolt? Or, better question, _what_ were you doing that was so important you ‘forgot’?” The visionary aspect didn’t bother making finger quotes around the last word, but everyone in the room could hear the disbelief in his voice clear as day.

Virgil tightened his grip on the pot handle, slowly refilling his cup. As the black liquid splashed into the mug, Virgil lowered his head. Tension was strung into every line of his body, and he continued to stubbornly face the counter even after he’d returned the pot to its stand. Silence reigned for a minute, then for two, and when Virgil finally spoke his voice was much quieter than usual, almost resigned. “I guess it just slipped my mind. I’ve had...a lot to think about recently.” He glanced furtively at the others, before taking a quick drink. When no one tried to break the silence, he sighed and turned back around.

“Guys, c’mon. This shouldn’t be a big deal. Of course I got...lost in my thoughts, for a little while. I’m _Anxiety_ , remember?” Virgil bit his lip, his free hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. “Look, I didn’t—I wasn’t trying to ignore you on purpose. It just slipped my mind. Maybe—if you want, maybe we could do another...family bonding...thing? To make up for last night?”

Patton couldn’t help the saddened smile that tugged on his lips. Of course Virgil would feel guilty for standing them up, even on accident. At least his dark, strange son was trying to make amends. The optimist could only hope Virgil had better luck than he did.

Logan and Roman exchanged a look, the former clearing his throat as he prepared to speak. “I...thank you for the offer, Virgil, but given how unsuccessful the last attempt at a movie night turned out, perhaps such activities are things that should be,” the intellectual summoned his vocab cards to hand, briefly rifling through them to find the one he needed. “Ah, yes. ‘Put on ice’ for the time being.”

A shadow of disappointment flickered across Virgil’s face, and Patton felt as though he had been punched in the gut. It was one thing to still be angry with him. As far as the ‘dad-friend’ was concerned, Logan was well within his rights not to want to forgive him after their fight. But that didn’t mean it was ok for him to reject Virgil, too. The quiet side shouldn’t have to suffer just because Patton had made a mistake. “It doesn’t have to be a movie marathon. There’s lots of other stuff. We can cook breakfast together, or play a board game, or even just have some quiet time together,” Morality tried to persuade Logic.

Logan glanced at Patton only for a moment, before training his gaze back on Virgil. “Unfortunately, I have important work that I must begin today. I don’t have time to procrastinate on other activities.”

Virgil nodded slowly. “Yeah, man, I get it. Whatever’s most important.”

Logan nodded as well, his stance relaxing slightly. “I am gratified you understand. Perhaps another time, then,” he offered as he began to sync out.

Virgil shrugged, turning his attention to Roman once Logan disappeared from view. “Princey?”

“While at any other time I would love to participate in any one of those incredible suggestions,” Roman began.

“Just get to the point, Drama Prince.”

“I can’t do it today. I have an...uncompleted quest in the Imagination that I simply must attend to. And you, Virgil, have no sense of style, do you know that?” The royal aspect huffed, standing up from the table.

“Yeah,” Virgil scoffed, “Like I’m gonna take advice on style—or on anything else—from someone who wears pajamas everyday.”

“Excuse you! My outfit is a royal prince’s uniform, a common fashion choice in fantasy novels when holding court. It is not _sleepwear_!”

“Whatever you say, Sir Sings a Lot.”

Roman began to sync out himself, glaring teasingly at Virgil all the while. “He’s all yours, Patton. I refuse to permit any further audience with someone so ignorant they mistake the finest threads in the Mindscape for a common pair of PJs.”

“Dude, for the last time, I’m not your ‘subject’. Face it; you’re only a prince in your own mind—or technically, in Thomas’s. Probably not outside of the Imagination, regardless.”

“Jealously does not become you, Dark Knight.” Roman ribbed.

“Yeah, whatever,” Virgil waved him off. “Call me when you’re ready to come back to reality, ya fantasy nut.”

With a dismissive gesture Creativity sunk out, leaving only Morality and Anxiety behind. Virgil turned to Patton as he knocked back the last of his coffee. “Let me guess, you’re busy too?”

Patton shook his head, a rueful smile playing across his face. “Nope! I only wanted to talk to Logan and Roman...which kinda didn’t work out as well as I’d hoped. But I’d love to spend some time hanging out with you, Kiddo! Ooh, we can make breakfast together, and then play some board games—I have every board game Thomas has ever played—and then maybe we can watch some cartoons, and after that—”

“Easy, Pat,” Virgil laughed, holding up a hand to fend off the excitable trait’s suggestions. “How about we just start with breakfast and see where it goes, ok?”

Alright, yeah, we can do that,” Patton babbled, moving toward the stove. “Would you like pancakes or waffles better for breakfast? How about bacon? We have Canadian and Turkey.”

Virgil tilted his head, eyeing Patton curiously for a moment. “Pat...”

“Yeah, Virge?” The smile Patton offered stretched a little under the other’s scrutiny, and Patton did his best to project only happy feelings towards his observant companion. It seemed to work to an extent. Virgil faltered, breaking eye contact with the emotional aspect, though the small glimmer of concern shining in his eyes remained. “...Nothing. Canadian bacon and Patton-cakes sound delicious.”

Patton loosed a squeal loud enough to make Virgil clamp his hands protectively over his sensitive ears. “You made a Dad-joke! I love it!”

“Good. I’d hate to hear what would happen if you hated it,” Virgil snarked, though the softer, more affectionate smirk that Patton had taken to calling an ‘almost-smile’ belied any true irritation on the part of the sarcastic side.

Patton giggled. “Sorry, Kiddo. I forgot how loud I can be sometimes.” He held up two skillets questioningly. “Pan you ever forgive me?”

Virgil snorted, slipping over to the fridge to retrieve the bacon. “Nothing to forgive, Pat. Except your pun-ishing sense of humor,” he assured.

Another laugh escaped the moral side, but instead of returning fire, he busied himself with gathering the ingredients for his Mindscape-famous pancakes. As he picked up the half-empty box of pancake mix, all he could think of was how quickly Logan and Roman had shut down Virgil’s offer in their haste to return back to their own areas of the Mind, away from Patton. _Oh, Kiddo, I only wish that was true._  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, first I know it's been awhile since I last updated anything. This chapter, for some reason, was particularly difficult to write compared to the other two. Then I started having to go to the doctor's, then the holidays snuck up on me (literally, somehow I made it until Dec. 15 without logically realizing that all the Christmas decorations meant I should actually start buying presents).
> 
> All I can say is I'm really sorry for the long wait. I can't promise not to have a repeat performance, since I'm moving after the holidays, but I can promise that I will try my best.
> 
> Next I just want to say that I love the new video "Embarrassing Phases" so much. The costumes are awesome, the theme/lesson is a good one (as always), and the plot and conflict fully satisfies the writer in me, [Spoilers] particularly since I agree with the idea that Virgil would have to, and even want to, still be able to wield fear as a weapon, just not to the same extent as before. There is so much that I love about this new video that I would probably run out of characters trying to talk about it all. I'm seriously hoping that the end card [again, Spoilers] is implying that we will get to see the canonical history between Deceit and Virgil soon, because I guarantee you, what I'm writing has just been officially moved into the AU category (Awesome Universe, obviously). 
> 
> Lastly, I want to apologize if my puns are kinda lame. They aren't really my specialty, I find it easier to write Roman's insulting nicknames and Logan's sophisticated manner of speech, but for the sake of Patton's character, I tried.
> 
> Have a wonderful Christmas everyone and until next time, 
> 
> ~Compass Rose

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know. The whole Virgil-being-a-former-dark-side trope has been done to death already. Well, I'm going to resurrect it once more for two reasons. One: I really like the premise of it and want to add my own variation of the story into the mix. And two: this is just the first story in a series I'm planning on writing, and some of the more Virgil-centric stories in that series depend on the group knowing that Virgil was, at one point, a dark side. So, I just figured it would be easier to start off the series with the story that introduces them to the concept.
> 
> I'm aware that this concept is far from original, but I hope my take on it will prove unique enough that you, the reader, will find some small measure of enjoyment in the tale regardless. Until next time,
> 
> ~Compass Rose


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